Movie Review: Senna

Senna is a documentary about Formula One racing driver Ayrton Senna of Brazil. Grainy archival film and video clips introduce us to a young, handsome, charismatic, and confident Senna as he enters the world of Formula One racing in 1984. Coming from a well-to-do family who supported his dreams of racing, both financially and emotionally, Senna had one goal: To win championships. The first third of the film is not unlike most sports-related documentaries. A young, brash rookie has something to prove and has the natural instincts and abilities to be great. We’ve seen it before, except this time there are subtitles and thick accents to contend with.

It’s during the second act that the film starts to feel less like a documentary and more like a scripted drama. The film focuses on the relationship between Senna and one-time teammate Alain Prost as they drove for McLaren-Honda. Due to their competitive nature, the two almost immediately ceased being teammates and became enemies. When they went their separate ways the rivalry only intensified. One of them always seemed to be in the other’s way in the quest for championships throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s as both racked up multiple championships. Watching them battle each other for supremacy illustrated the win-at-all-cost attitude of the drivers, and the controversial politics that existed within Formula One racing during that era. Hollywood’s most gifted writers would be hard-pressed to invent the elements that make this story so riveting. In addition to the excitement on the racetrack, it is heart-wrenching to see how the people of Brazil reacted to the accomplishments of their racing hero. At the time, Brazil was in the throes of crippling poverty and violence. Some of the Brazilians interviewed were quoted as saying Senna was the “only thing good to come out of Brazil.” The film peaks when Senna wins his home country’s Grand Prix for the first time in 1991. With a busted gearbox, Senna held on to win before a jubilant home crowd. Screaming with joy from his cockpit, completely spent Senna had to be pried from his car. He had given everything he had to win the race in front of his countrymen. It was a spectacular moment.

Everything after that moment could have been anticlimactic, if it wasn’t for the fact that it’s common knowledge that Senna died while racing. It doesn’t ruin the movie knowing that fact. If anything, it only enhances the final third of the movie, because you don’t quite know when the moment will come. With three championships under his belt, Senna changed teams just as Formula One made changes to the cars that made them unstable and unsafe. Senna knew this and although urged to retire by some colleagues, he continued to race. When the moment finally arrives and Senna slams into a wall while leading the San Marino Grand Prix in 1994, the emotion is real. You realize it’s not an actor or a stuntman, but a real human being who put his life on the line every time he raced. It’s a genuine tragedy. Even more so when you learn that, due to major changes in the sport, Senna was the last person to die in a Formula One race.

Ayrton Senna in Senna. Photo by Karin Sturn.

Senna is a riveting documentary. The amount of archival footage of Senna both on and off the track is startling. A slick Hollywood production starring James Franco couldn’t approach the level of human drama and emotion that this documentary conveys. This film is a must-see, not just for racing fans, but for all those who are moved by stories of the human spirit.

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